Daheuk, a South Korean biology YouTuber with over one million subscribers, recently uploaded an on-the-ground investigation video exposing a severe bedbug crisis at a jjimjilbang in Yeongdo District, Busan.
According to Korean media reports, Daheuk said in the video uploaded on Sep. 26 that he had received a tip-off that a large number of bedbugs had appeared at a jjimjilbang in Busan. Some customers were left with marks all over their bodies after being bitten, and some were suspected of carrying the bedbugs back to their homes. After visiting the site to inspect it himself, Daheuk found traces of bedbugs everywhere from the mattresses used by customers for rest to cracks in the walls. One wall crevice was even found to have apparently become a "mass nest" for bedbugs, with eggs, nymphs, and adults all gathered together.
Daheuk noted that some of the bedbugs he caught had visibly swollen abdomens, suggesting they had recently fed on blood. There were also many black spots on the walls, which he believed were likely bedbug excrement. Daheuk also pointed out that the floor of the jjimjilbang's rest area is warm and charging facilities are available, so many customers often stay there for long periods. He speculated that after feeding on blood, the bedbugs crawl back into the wall crevices to hide.
Although the operator claimed to have disinfected the premises itself, the effort was ineffective. The Yeongdo District Office in Busan said that since the 2nd of this month, it had received three reports of bedbug bites linked to the jjimjilbang. One resident even said on social media that they had visited the jjimjilbang on August 30 and found bedbugs at home on Sep. 7, suspecting the insects had been "brought home" in luggage or clothing.
Authorities have now ordered the operator to commission a professional pest control and disinfection company to carry out a full extermination, and advised the operator to continuously treat the premises with the dedicated insecticide provided at the facility. As of now, Yeongdo District said it has not received any new reports of bedbugs at other businesses within its jurisdiction.
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